X's dark side
by Daroshen36
Summary: Set during X6 Zero had gone missing, and is pronounced dead. X dose not remeber his freind and is becomeing, harder and harder to deal with. But when a new threat comes to the hunters. The fallen will return. Rated T for language.
1. X's Dark side: Prolouge

X's dark side

Summary:

It has been six weeks since the world sufferd the terrible punishment of the Sigma virus, three weeks since it sufferd the crash of Eurisa, and only one week of this punishing Nightmere phenomenon.

nearly a month since the dynamic duo, X and Zero were seperated...The two maverick hunters had worked side by side against Sigma, until the Eurisa incedent, where the red maverick hunter. Zero was killed saveing X from Sigma's wrath. But now. Zero has fallen, his body dissapeard from the face of the earth...acording to the maverick hunters and accepted by all of humanity.

Until now...

Prolouge:

The pulsating green and blue light sped up. a strange buzzing sound came next fallowed by nearly bearable pain. It wasn't a sharp stinging, burning pain. but a dull pulsing pain. The pain cuased a ringing in his ears. Soon the pulseing green light got brighter and brighter until it turned white, then it faded, the white slowly disolved into a blurry, glossy material blocked the vision of what looked to be darkend grey and oc-white room. The being blinked then let out a silent breath.

Soon its eye sight cleard enouph it could tell it was in a pod of somesort. A repair pod? more then likely. The being in the pod was not human not in the least. He was a type of android. A reploid.

I robot capable of totale free thought and action.

Stronger and faster then humans, only beaten in smarts by a very select few of the star born race.

The reploid in pod attempted a sigh, but again only wnded up with a silent breath.

'So...I can't use me vocal cords eh? well! lets see what else dosn't work.' thought the reploid slowly scanning the area around him, there was little to see. All he could see was the very rim of his red helmet out of the corner of his ultramarine eyes, a misplaced strand of blond hair fell over his eyes forceing the reploid to blink it away.

' so much for the pony tail...who is gods name put my helmet on...and didn't pit my hair in its pony tail? oh speacking of sombodies.' thought the reploid slowly turneing his head, surprised that his neck worked.

' Alright Zero...thats good you can now look around! lets see..do my arms work?' Zero blinked tried to move his arms. His left fingures twitched, then slowly glitched into a fist. Zero smirked and slowly realeased his fist repeating the prosses with his right hand.

'good. now the legs'

Zero consentrated hard, trying despretly to move his legs. wiggle with toes...something! anything? nope. he could move his feet...or any part of his lower body. This only seemed to amuse the reploid though.

'Not that much of a surprise, I tohught I was skrewed as of beging able to move at all! my re-pair system was destroyied when I fought Sigma...my power core was demolised...that damn fight. I wouldn't be in this mess if Sigma didn't make me fight X...X!" Zero sucked in a rapid breath, the ecuivilant of a silent gasp.

Zero turned his head to his right side and saw the warped verison of someone sitting in a chair not to far from him. Zero tried again to use his voice. but to no avail . Zero was angery now

"I have to know! is he alive!?' thought Zero punching the metal table beneath him. The man/woman in the chair jumped to his/her feet. Zero blinked noticeing how quicklt this got the persons attention and hit the table rapidly to get the human over to the pod.

Without a seconds hesitation the human rushed over to the pod anf opened the glass covering. Zero blinked as a sudden flood of light invaded his eyes.

"You'r awake!" came a feminine voice. tried to grunt and blinked several times. a girl?

Zero looked up and saw a girl with blond culy hair and green eye's. she had a white lab coat on and look overly releaved.

Zero blinked several more times and mouth afew words.

' who are you?'

The woman blinked several times

"I'm sorry but you'r vocal cords wont be working until later...here use this." said the woman handing Zero a notepad and a pencil. stared blankly at it for a moment, then began writing franticly.

who are you? Where am I? and how am I alive?!"

Zero handed the paper back to the girl who read it quickly.

"Why you sure do cut to the chase don't you? Well first off my name is Casandra. You are in my laboratory and I reapried you."

More detail please!

"Oh fine... I was exploreing out side the coove one day and found you'r body...er what was left of it anyway. just you left arm and upper body, head included."

Zero shoke his head 'well duh, god I hate stupid people'

"Tell me Zero...how did you end up in that condition?" asked Casandra.

'She knowes my name?'

Zero grabed the notepad and slowly bagan writeing. Telling the scientist everything he remeberd about the Eurisa incedent, his fight with X and the battle with Sigma.

Casandra read the paper several times in silence before actually speacking.

"T-thats terrbile...I thought you were just cuaght in a building collapse," said Casandra reading over the last part of the paper again. "I'm sorry Zero but...I don't know if this X you're talking about...but I can send scout bots out to look from him. He could be in any of the twenty cooves around here."

Zero attempted to growel then took the paper.

What are 'the cooves'?

Cassandra lauphed at the question.

"The cooves are underground cities that we humans and reploids have made together. There are twenty of them here in Japan and south Korea...the rest of the world...we don't know." said Casandra in a slightly sad voice.

Zero heard something inside his head click then bright bold lettering appeard in front of his eyes

' vocal systems back on-line in 5...4....3...2...vocal systems on-line'

Zero blinked several times and moaned. he noted already that his normaly melodus voice was sctratchy.

" W-which c-coo-ve are w-we in?" sputterd Zero. Casandra blinked several times in slight dismay.

"You'r vocal systems are working again!"

" Well duh...what was you'r first clue?" said Zero in a scratchy voice

"Do want some water?"

" That would be nice." grumbled Zero as he turned his head away fromt he human and loked at the wall. Casandra looked at Zero for a moment then turned to a small grenn and silver robot.

" Bren...go get a glass of water please." asked Casandra to the small robot.

"W-ater. *beep*" The little green robot hopped up then ran out of the room.

" Well. I'm going to return to my research, you can just rest if you want." said Casandra walking back over to her computer and typing into her digital diary.

Dear Diary: It's been three day's since Zero has woken up, he won't talk to me! The only things he say's to me are. " Have you found X yet?" or " Can I GO now?"

He onlt asks once a day though. then he just sits silently and stares at the wall. hm...to marrow I think I'll let him go and explore the cooves. I want him to come back but...I wouldn't mind if it didn't come back.

Casandra signed out of her Diary and turned to Zero who was looking at himself in a mirror. He had tied his pulled his hair back in a tight pont tail and build a saber out of parts he found in the lab.

"Zero...I think all you'r systems have been repaired...if you want you can go and explore the cooves."

"That would be...nice...do you have a cloak?" asked Zero turning to the woman.

"Yea and old black one...why?" asked Casandra scratching her head.

"Because....of the hole nightmree thing you were blabbing about. I don't want to scare people out of there wits when they see me." said Zero in a sad tone.

"Yea. theres one in the closet over there." said Casandra pointing to a closet and spinning around in her chair. Zero grunted, walked over to the closet and picked out the clock.

"Thank you...for everything." said Zero heading twards the door.

"Good luck Zero." called Casandra as Zero grabed the door.

"Thank you."


	2. Chapter 1

Zero through on his cloak and cliped it at the neck. He didn't want anybody to reconize him...not yet. what Casandra said about the Nigtmere virus was probley true. so he dicided to keep a low porfile.

Zero grunted as he looked at himself in a large mirror, he bearly reconized himself.

"That's good, now to explore this Coove

Zero explored the underground city aimlessly... there were people, there were reploids.... all wandering around a in the market place. A bunch of make shift stores.

It looked like a very old city. the building were on the sides with a large two lane road. there were novehciles on the road. none at all. Zero grunted at this and looked up the ceiling of the coove was a good forty to fifty fet abouve his head, most of the buildings bearly reaching a thirty foot mark. Zero blinked and reajusted his hood and walked slowly through the market place mozzing from one store to the next, looking at me rshindise and food, and clothes stores...no weapons, nothing of that sort. Zero evtually walked through the intire mile and a half long market area and found himself in anaother patch of liveing aparmetns...all if them exactly the same os the ones on the other side of the market place. Zero had no isea what time it was or how late the day was getting.. al he knew was it had to be clsoe to luch, people were walking up to one of the four foos courts in thein the market place. Zero grunted as he walked up to one and looked at the menu...just like the food stores, not alot to chose from...if was surpriseing that anything managed to grow down in the depths of the earth. Zero felt suddenly out of place, as if he had stepped back in time nearly a thousand years, the tecnolagy was primitive, there was no means of vehicle tranpertation, there were light posts, all over the place, most of them looked as they wer scanaged from one of the surface cities. Zero sighed and walked away from the food court wandering through the liveing areas, until something cuaght his eye, it looked like a park? yes a childrens park. There was a swing set a slide a merry-go-round and several other childeish intertainment sources, but no reploids. Zero remeberd looking at a sign as he walked into this section.

'no reploids aloud'

clearly this was a section that was made for only human residents as Zero was tresspassing. The red hunter scoffed and turned back to the market place.

But on his way back, something else cuaght his eye a large side road. Larger then the main one.

'how did I miss that?' wonderd Zero turning in that direction. withen ten minutes Zero noticed something diffrent about the terrian, the buildings where made of metal, not carved rock and stone, Zero lifted his head slightly and look straigh ahead, there was a large metal building at the very far end og the tunnle. Zero walked there wonering what the building was for.

Zero walkted up to the large building

'maverick hunter base OCT.03 eh?' well...I wonder who's stationed here.' thought Zero walking up to the building. the ceiling of the coove rose a good fourty feet or so. makeing the building nearly four stories high. It was a sad shadow of what a maverick hunter base would have looked like but, that didn't matter.

Zero looked at a plauqe that was set in alarge black granit stone in front of the base.

' to honor those who died to fight for the freedom of the peoples of earth...'

Zero blinked several times, there were three dots at the end endecating that there was more to the golden wrteing that was set in the stone. Zero sighed and noticed a dark metal bench near the entrance of the base. Zero slowly walked over to the bench and sat down.

' so ...lets see who resides here.' thought Zero pulling his hood down over his eye's and watching as hunters came and went from the base.

Zero did not know half of them but he could desifer there rank without problem.

a reploid with dull orange and grey armor walked by.

'rookie' thought Zero as a green clad replois walked by

'one maybe two years vertain'

Then a tall muscular, yellow armored reploid walked through the courtyard

'Gerimah...10th unit elite second in command.' Zero nodded

'thats it then...this base is home to the tenth unit elite.' Zero was about to stand up to leavew when another reploid cuaght his eyes. It was a white clad reploid with dull golden yellow trim. Zero knew this reploid well.

"Aullet.."whispeard Zero aloud. " Zero unit elite, rookie." whispeard Zero smileing darkly.

"What would a member of my unit be doing here in the thenth unit?"

" Exuss me sir! you are on private property!" came a stern voice. Zero lifeted his gaze and saw Aullet pointing a buster at Zero.

Zero couphed sveeral times

Im sorry my young freind." whispeard Zero trying to sound as elderly as possible. " I have had a long day's walking and thought a good sit down would be good for may ageing bones..."

Zero smirked from under his cloak 'oh this is genuis'

"Hmpf...what is you'r name." asked Aullet

'he's matured, I'll give him that...a name'

"My name is Exavier." lied Zero sighing.

" I am sorry sir...but I must ask you to leave." said Aullet.

"Hmpf...you've matured a great deal Aullet." mutterd Zero standing up and walking away. Aullet grunted but left Zero to himself.

Zero returned to Casandra's apartment to find the girl sitting at her kitchen table with a look of ditress on her face. Zero took off his cloak and walked up to her.

"Casandra? is something wrong?" asked Zero walking up to the human.

"Oh no Zero...I was just thinking."

" Alright...then..about what?"

" So Zero what do you think of the cooves?" asked Casandra changeing the subject

"It's...alright. but I noticed a sign...it said that no reploids were allowed to enter withen an area of liveing areas....why would that be?"

" Most of the reploid either live near the hunter base or on this side of the market place. . No one minds the racal seperations. It was just a precuation given by the maverick hunters." said Casandra.

"But you'r human and live on this side...shouldn't you live on the other side of the market place?"

" It dosn't matter to me. I like it here more then over there. the reploids are nicer about things then the humans in this coove, the humans are nice, but the reploids seem to be more...optimistic about the liveing in the cooves."

" I see."

(several hours later)

"Casandra?"

" Yes Zero?"

" How the hell do you people tell time around here?" asked Zero looking back from the window he was stareing at.

" You didn't see the gaint clock on the maverick hunters base?"

"no...I didn't go there to day. " lied Zero, matter of fact he hand't seen the clock.

" Zero are you hungry?" asked Casandra politly

Zero grunted as he turned back to the window...something was wrong, he could feel it.

"Zero?"

"No Casandra...I think theres something I have to do first." said Zero walking over to the door and grabing his cloak wrapping and clipping it tightly around his neck.

Zero heard screames and he knew he was right.

" Zero, don't go out there! there an outbreack of the nightmere virus! let the hunters take care of it!" shouted Casandra as she headed twards the emergncy shleter in the back of her home.

" I am a hunter." said Zero grabein ghis saber and shoveing the cloakes hood over his head.

Zero rushed to the scence where the nightmeres were rampageing, they didn't look like virus's.. mor like a black ball with an eye connected to a large tenetcle. Zero growled as he activated his saber. Zero was about to charge out and meet the nightmeres in battle when blaster fire rang out and hit the nightmeres in a torrent of plasma. Zero flinched and turned seeing six maverick hunter standing in a line there busters smokeing. Zero smirked

Gerimah was leading them with Aullet at his side.

"10th unit move out! don't let any of them get away!" commander Gerimah as they six hunters spread out and meet the eight nightmeres head on.

'there out numberd. I have to help them.' thought Zero fighting the urge to run straight into the battle. Zeor heard a loud scream. The red hunter turned to the source of the sound and saw one of the hunters on his knee's, one of the nightmers tentcle stabed into his belly.

'no...' thought Zero was the hunter turned pasty white and fell to the ground.

"Damn't !" shuoted Garimah. as the fallen hunter slowly stod back. " Marine...you poor bastard." whispeard Gerimah shooting the reploid in the chest killing it on the spot. Now they were even more out number.

Zero heard another scream but reconized it. Zero turned to his left and saw Aullet surounded by three nightmeres

"Aullet!" shouted Zero forgetting his secretisim and dashing into the battle field. Aullet had a look of absolute terror on his face.

'faster!' thought Zero as he dash-jumped above the nightmeres and slashed two of them in half on the spot.. Zero landed in front of Aullet just to be met by the tenticle of one of the nightmeres. Zero slashed the tentcle then killed the viural hunk of metal. Little to Zero's knowlage, the clip on his cloak had broke, relvealing most of Zero's left side and Aullet had seen the crimson red armor.

"Z-Zero!?" shouted Aullet. Zero smirked and relaxed, knowing that his cover had been lost. Zero relaxed his shoulders, letting the cloak fall to the ground. Aullet paled at the sight of his old commander.

"ZERO!!!": shouted Aullet happily Zero turned around and was tackled by Aullet

"Oh my GOD you'r ALIVE, Zero I can't belive it! ZERO!!!" shouted Aullet hugging Zero tightly.

'well, so much for that' thought Zero luaphing.

"Umm. Aullet I was trying NOT to be seen." said Zero pushing the young hunter away from him. All of the nightmeres where gone now and the five remaining maverick hunters where watching Zero.

"Zero you son of a bitch!" shouted Gerimah walking up to the red hunter helping Zero to his feet. " I thought you kicked the bucket."

" Well. I guess not." said Zero shrugging. Gerimah shoke his head and hugged Zero for a second.

"Good to see you again Zero".

"Good to see you to Gerimah...a commander now!?" asked Zero smileing. Gerimah nodded and was about to say something when Aullet interupted him

"We have to call HQ!" said Aullet beaming. " We need to call Signas, a-and ALia. and X!!! oh my god when he finds out you'r alive! he's gonna lose it!" shouted Aullet

" Yes.. we will contact HQ...but I'm not sure of X's reaction to you will be what you expect." said Gerimah in a sadend tone.

" Hm? why not Gerimah?" asked Zero looking up at the taller reploid.

"He..." Gerimah trailed off as he looked at the reploid he shot down ealeir.

" Oh yea..." mutterd Aullet his happiness depleading.

"What?!" asked Zero turning back to his freind

"X dosn't remeber you...it's like after Eurisa...all of his momories of you dissapeard."  
Zero blinked and nearly sobbed. " You wouldn't lie to me...would you?"

" No! not on something like that!" said AUllet sadly

" I see...then I just have to start over then huh?"

" What do you mean Zero?!"

" My freindship with X will have to be restarted." said Zero shrugging again.

" Zero...I'm sorry." said Aullet.

" That alright...."

XxXxXxXxX

"SIGNAS!!!" shouted Alia bursting through the commanders doors

" Commander!" shouted Alia again panting

" Yes Alia?" asked Signas in a calm voice

" *pants* the tenth unit...they...they've found~"

Alia was cut off by the bases alarm going off

" We will have to finish this later Alia. The 17th coove is under attack!"

" We don't have a unit in the 17th coove!"

"Send the closest ones then!"

" Roger!"

Alia turned on her transmiter. "X! you need to take you'r unti and get to coove 17 as soon as possible!"

" Roger that!" came X;s voice from the staticy conection

"Gerimah! send you'r unit to the seventeenth coove imediatly! we have a huge nightmere out break there!"


	3. Chapter 2

Zero was lead into the hunter base by Gerimah and Aullet.

"Zero...where the heck have you been for the past few monthes!"

" Around..." sighed Zero rubbing his temple.

"Zero is something wrong?" asked gerimah placeing a hand on the red hunters shoulder. Zero smirked

" Oh no...nothings wrong."

" you sound depressed...are you sure?" asked Aullet. Zero nodded.

"Just growing a bit on the tierd side is all." assured Zero crakeing a small small. Aullet smirked and shoke his head.

" So...should we call the base right away? or let you take a nap?" asked Gerimah in a toying voice.

"Hmm...I would like a nap...I havn't seen a stasis pod scince...a long time ago.." mutterd Zero

gerimah luaphed and slaped Zero on the back.

"It really is good to have you back! We'll get you a nice new stasis pod to recharge in." said Gerimah pushing on Zero's shoulder.

"Captian!" came a young reploids voice. Gerimah turned to the source of the voice and saw a young hunter in dark navy blue armor running down the hall.

" Yes Calen...whats the matter?" asked Gerimah his smile fadeing.

"HQ called...Alia said that...there is a large nightmere breackout in coove 17! she has sent the 17th and 10th units to respond!"

Zero's eyes widened when he heard that X's unit was going to be there.

Gerimah blinked several times.

"I am sorry Zero...but it looks like we have more work to do...these nightmere virus breackouts keep geting worse and worse...more frecuent then normal too."

Zero clenthed his fist and smiled

" Do worry about a thing Gerimah! If we go now I can see X!"

"of course...you only care about yer little freind." joked Aullet

"Hey! whats that suposed to mean!?" scolded Zero knoking Aullet on the back of the head. Aullet giggled and ran away.

"Umm...gerimah? how are we going to get to coove 17 anyway?" asked Zero turning to the unit leader.

"What yo uthink we don got teleporters?" asked gerimah spinning around and calling the other hunters in the base. Zeor shoke his head and fallowed closely

*coove 17*

"Theres to many of them! capitan! we have to retreat!" shouted a reploid as he scurried out of a crumbling building.

"No! I won't abondone those people!" shouted the blue reploid slashing at another large nightmere with his beam saber.

" X theres too many! get out of there befor you'r infected!" shouted Alia through the hunters transmiter.

X grimaced at the sound of his nevigators concernd voice but only shook his head.

" I will NOT abondon those traped people Alia!" repeated X slashing through afew more of the nightmeres.

"X you'r no good to them if you'r infected wit the virus...get out of there!" scolded Signas over the transmitter. X grimaced again.

"Geh...Y-yes sir!" shouted X spinning around and dashing away from the collapsing building.

X dashed out of the building just as part of the hall behind him collapsed.

"Captain X!" shouted several members of the hunters unit. as they rushed to theres leaders side.

"Im...fine!" shouted X knocking the other hunters away.

"Captian X!" shouted another voice. X growled as he heard his name come again, but it was the voice form someone who wasn't from his unit.

X slowly turned around and saw Aullet rushing twards him. his dull gold and white armor glowing in the artifical light of the coove.

"Aullet. you being here means Gerimah and the rest of your unit is here to help." said X with a small smirk as he placed his saber behind him and clicked it into a holster on his back.

Aullet blushed with excitment and nodded.

"Yep...and thats not all I've come here to tell." said Aullet smileing brightly.

X hissed at the rookies optimisim.

"Well...what is it?!" commanded X shortly. Aullet froze for a moment, surprised at the captians tone

" If you haven't noticed Aullet. we are in the middle of a crisis! I don't have time for you'r rookie games!'

"N-no X! sir thats not it!"

" I Don;t have time for this! rejoin Gerimah and prepare for a counter attack!" said X rushing to aid some of his other men.

Aullet stod stunned for a long time. Never had X talked to him like that.

" Aullet!" came a fimilair voice as a tough hand shooke the rookies shoulder. Aullet turned and saw Zeor behind him. The red hunter had not listened to Aullet and stayed in the shadows, were he wouldn't have been noticed by the other members of the 17th unit.

"Zero! I told you to stay hidden." said Aullet shacking, but it was to late, almost everyone in the sevententh unit was surounding Zero and Aullet eaither whispearing or shouting.

" Captian Zero!" shouted one of the hunters happily.

"It's captian Zero!!!" shouted several others. Zero looked around somewhat dazed by the crowd of people.

" Alright leave him alone!" commanded Aullet " We have a nightmere problem to deal with! now go!!!" shouted the young hunter. all of the surounding reploids shut up and quickly dispersed.

Aullet sighed in relief and turned back to Zero

"I'm impressed, you really have grown up." said Zero smileing.

"So..." came a slightly angery voice from behind the red hunter. "You'r the so called Zero?"

Zero spun around and was met by the sight of a blue clad reploid with an activated X-buster and a Z-saber in his hands.

"X..." whispeard Zero takeing a slight step back.

Part of Zero wanted to run up to the blue bomber and hug the reploid half to death but, not only would that ruin his reputation, but Aullet had also said that X didn't remeber him at all.

so Zero shook his head smiled and walked over to X.

"Hello there. and you must be captian X then." said Zero smileing as brightly as he could.

" Oh shut up! I know we've met before...everyone says that we were once freinds....so don't act like it's the first time weve seen eachother!" said X scowling. Zero was taken aback by this slightly. But shook it off and smiled.

" I am aware of that...but since I do not have the time for a renuinon...and you don't remeber me...why don't we just start over?" asked Zero, tears pricking at his eyes.

X blinked and smiled.

"Alright fine! acording to everyone in the base..." said X grabeing Zero's hand and shacking it, "We make great freinds!"

Zero smiled and shooke X's hand as well. he swalloed hard surpressing a sob.

"well, look at that." interupted gerimah smileing. X and Zero turned to the 10th unit leader.

"Oh Gerimah...are you and you;r men ready to fight off some nightmeres?" said X smileing. gerimah nodded then turned to Zero.

"Zero have you even fought against nighmteres before?"

" Puh, that was a dumb question...how do you think I saved Aullet? by asking the nightmers to self-destruct?" asked Zero smileing and shackin ghis head.

" Well then." said X impatiently. "Lets get a move one, theres still people in there!" said X dashing off twards the opening in the building.

"Zero." said Gerimah slowly.

"Yea Gerimah?"

" Watch X for us...he dosn't like to listen to anyone but himself." warned Gerimah turning around to rally the other hunters.

"Roger that!" siad Zero dashing after X his saber now drawen.

The inside of the building was a wreck, the walls and ceilings were falling apart very quickly. There were several reploid laying on the ground, with buster and saber wounds covering there bodies.

Zero blinked several times as dust from the ceiling cuaght in his eyes.

"X!" shouted Zero as he chased after the blue reploid into the farthest reaches of the building.

"Zero hurry!" commanded X's voice from a good distance. Zero cursed X's new 'better then everyone else' attitude, Most people wouldn't notice it but, Zero remeberd, the only time X commanded anybody was when he was desprate for the one he's yeling at to comply.

Zero dashed around another corner and finaly cuaght up with X. Who had stopped running.

"Umm...There no one here X." said Zero looking around.

" I know that! 'snapped X turning to Zero and shoveing his saber in the red hutners face. Zero backed away and got in a defencive position.

"What are you doing?" asked Zero calmly.

"You...you just show up here, and no ask's questions...how do we know you arn't maverick!" said X darkly. Zero blinked slightly shoked and frowened

"X...I...I'm not a maverick!" shouted Zero shacking his head.

The one thing Zero hated worse then mavericks was beging called a maverick!

X shoke his head slowly

"No...I don't belive you." Zero blinked and saw something move behind the blue hunter.

"Belive what you want but...MOVE!" Zero knocked X's saber away and pushed past the blue reploid, Zero dash-jumped into the air and dug his saber stright into the bulk of a nightmere that was about to sting X.. The nightmere fell to the ground and Zero saw another room with a small pipe bomb set at the far wall.

" Oh...shit..." hissed Zero turning around and grabeing X's arm

"Let me go!" snapped X. Zero turned around.

"X we have to go! theres a bomb!" warned Zero, as the blue reploid picked up his saber.

"Yea? why should I belive you?"

Zero blinked then sighed.

" Oh I don't know maybe becuase theres a bomb behind you!" said zero pointing to the bomb again. This time X turned around and saw the bomb.

"That little thing? all that'll do is put a hole in the wall." said X walking into the room. Zero growled and shook his head.

'this kid is going to kill me' thought Zero rubbing his temple.

X searched the carefully scanning it for any sign of life. but when he found none he turned to the small pipe bomb that Zero was haveing a fit over.

There wasn't a timer on it, so X couldn't tell when it was going to go off but the blue bomber decided that it would be better for them to leave.

"Alright...I'm done, lets go." said X carelessly as he walked past Zero. The red hnter growled in annoance.

'when we get back to HQ...i'm going beat him back into shape.' thought Zero smileing.

Then the a large explosion went off freom behind them. Zero and X spun around.

"Oh crap!" said Zero turning back around as the two hunters started running.

Large rocks and pipes from the buildings began to fall from the ceiling.

The two hunters cursed as the debris got larger and larger. some rocks nearly blocking the entire hallway.

It was here that X was cuaght in a collapse. A large peice of the cieling fell and pinned X's lower body to the floor.

Zero heard the hunter cry in pain and imediatly spun around.

"X!" shouted Zero rushing back to his freind.

" No!" commander X waveing Zero away, "Go on without me!"

Zero burried his right shoulder into the boulder and slowly pushed his left hand under an inch.

" Did you hear me? get out!" commanded X clearly getting angry. Zero only smiled and looked down as his freind as he began to push on the rock.

"you really don't remeber me at all do you?!" shouted Zero as he slowly began to inch the rock off his friend.

" I never leave any man behind!" shouted Zero stepping back from the rock and to peices with his Z-buster.

X pushed himeself up slightly then yelped.

"My leg!" he shouted. " I broke my leg!"

Zero quickly grabed X's arm and slung it over his shoulder.

"C'mon...we gotta move!" said Zero as he helped carry X out of the crumbling building

The two hunters dashed out of the dust filled door way of the building and skidded to a stop just outside a crowed of hunters

" X, Zero!" creid Aullet rushing over to the hunters. "Are you alright?"

" I'm fine." said Zero panting, " but blue boy here broke a leg."

X growled at the commet and looked away noticeing a group of people. there were mostly children, This was a daycare building. One girl that looked about thirteen was counting the children.

X noticed that she counted the children, frowened then counted the children again

"Oh no!" gasped the girl turning to X. "Marry! Where's Marry!?" shouted the girl looking through the group of kids. X blinked then looked back at the building.

More smoke a dust rose from the building after what looked like a second bomb went off in one of the upper levels.

" No!" shouted the day care girl again. By this time the young woman had cuaght the attention of afew of the hunters.

"Marry! Marry's still inside!" shouted the girl to one of the other hunters.

"Oh no..." groaned X shacking his head. Then he felt a slight shift at his side.

X looked at Zero and saw him removeing X's arm from around his neck.

"zero no..." said X sadly. Zero stiffened for a second.

Then a loud scream came from behind the. Zero turned his head slightly and saw a woman crying over what looked to be a dead young man.

" Noooo!!!!!!" screamed the woman crying somemore.

Zero, without another seconds hesitation pushed X away from him, spun around and dashed back into the collapsing building.

"Zero no!" shouted X trying to fallow the red hunter.

"X don't!" creies Aullet holding the blue hunter back.

"Let go! Zero!" shouted X in demanding voice. But the hunter was already deep into the building.

Alright, there is no one on the first floor.' thought Zero as he zoomed up to a stair case.

" But it's suicide to go up to any of the other levels."

Zero comtemplated wiether he should go or not, when a small child scream invaded his ears.

"She's close! spat Zero dashing up the stairs.

The second leverl was trashed. rocks pipes and other manners of blunt objects that could kill a person.

Zero choaked on some dust and looked around

"Marry!" called Zero dashing around.

"Help!" came a young voice from the far end of the hall. Zero turned to the sound.

"Im comeing!" said Zero dashing through the hall as more debris began to fall from the upper levels. Zero finaly made it to the last room in the second leverl and found a small blnd girl curled up in a ball in the corner. ideing behind a suport beam. Zero ran over to the girl a knelt down.

"It's ok," said Zero reaching out his hand, " I'm here to help you." The girl sobbed and shrunk closer to the wall.

" What's wrong? we can't stay here." said Zero in a kind but urgent tone. The Girl shoke her head and pointed to somethong behind Zero. Zero blinked, then heard a hissing sound.

"Shit" whipeard Zero pulling up his Z-saber and turning around. Just as the hunter was up on his feet a sharp pain stung his side.

Zero froze and felt a sudden rush of cold go through him.

"V-irus..." hissed Zero as the faint image of a nightmere came into his sight's. Zero growled and slashed away at the nightmere until it exploded. Zero fell to is knees and hissed.

" That...hurts" whispeard Zero. The building shoke and Zero looked up. A large amount a debris fell form the ceiling, Zero cursed again and jumped back over to the girl, but still wounded up getting half burried in debris.

The little girl creid when the dust cleard and Zero didn't move.

Marry made afew sobbing sounds and crawled over to Zero and shoke his hsoulder.

"Get up..." creid Marry shacking Zero with both here hands. " GET UP!" creid the child again shacking Zero franticly.

Zero groaned and lifted his head.

"S-sorry kido..." moaned Zero shacking his head.

"No! we no stay! no safe! you said!" creid marry crawling to Zero's side and quicklt tearing the smaller debris. Zero panted and slowly picked himself, letting the rest of the debris slide away from.

"You'r right..I did say." said Zero smileing. Marry smiled and chuckled bounceing at Zero side as the hunter stiffly stod up.

A large sudder racked the room and Zero nearly fell over again.

Marry screamed and grabed Zero's leg.

"C'mon kid!" saidd Zero scooping up the girl and carring her out of the room.

Zero ran as fast as he could dodgeing debris and larger rocks. The hunter was constanly hitting walls from the virus.

' I don't get it.' thought Zeor as he reached the stairs again. ' I thought the virus forced reploids into a dream where they thought killing was enjoyable. Nut I feel fine' thought Zero half down the stairs.

Zero took another ste, when a large shutter ran through the building as a third bomb went off in the upper levels.

"Dang it!" shouted Zero as he lost his footing and slide down the steps. Hitting his back hard. "Gah...if this keeps up..." hissed Zero slowly standing bake up as Marry began to cry.

"we almost to door!" creid marry poitning to the door.

"Yes..." panted Zero takeing off down the hall, Although there was a small chance they were going to even make it. The door was a good 60 meters away through a twisting hall wasy that was filling with more and more debris with each passing minute. Zero shelterd Marry's head as he was forced to run through another fountain of dust and rocks. A large rock fell and hit Zero in the back knocking Zero to his knee's but Zero cursed again, hopped up and ran faster as he didged a falling pipe. Another shutter ran through the building and a large rock smaked Zero in the back of the head, cracking the armor at the base of his neck. Ther hunter fell to the ground.

and this time he didn't hop up.

" Get up." said Marry turning and looking at Zero's helmet. The hunters face was burried in the dust. But blood was streaming slightly down the side of his face and down his back from the wound the falling rock cuased.

" get up!" creid Marry more desprite shacking Zero's shoulder with her right hand. "GET UP!!!" screamed Marry shacking Zero as vilontly as she could. When Zero didn't move the child screamed and started to bang on Zero's back.

" Ugh...stop that..." hissed Zero slowly rasing his head. Marry screamed again and shoke tears from her eyes as more rocks fell around them. Zero blinked drunkly afew times then fianly realized where he was.

Zero draged himself up on his knees and grbed the girl. Zero was just about to take off again when the floor to the second level completely collapsed and started to fall twards him.

"Damn!" shouted Zero. As the barrage of rocks fell to ground level.

"Let me go!" shouted X again as he trashed away from Aullet.

"X no! you can't go in there! you'll die for sure!" creid Aullet grabeing X's leg and tripping the blue hunter.

"Gah! damit Aulet let me go!" shouted X kicking the rookie away.

"Gerimah!" screamed Aullet as X headed twards the building.

"X stop!" shouted Signas through the blue hunters transmiter.

" Stop trying to get you'rself killed!" screamed Alia .

X growled and shoke his head.

"But Zero..." mutterd X as he looked at the building.

A large rummble came from the building and the walls began to fall in on themselves.

Afew seconds passed and the entire roof had caved in.

X blinked. "Zero..." whispeard X hanging his head.

"Zero! no!" shouted Aullet in a sobbing sound.

a few seconds of silence passed, when the sound of foot steps cuaght X;s attention.

The blue hunter looked up at the dust filled doorway to the collapsed building. At first all X could see was a shadowed figure, withen a few seconds an entire reploid had come into view. X sighed in releif.

"Zero!" shoute Aullet happily as he dashed off to his mentor. Aullet nearly reaced Zero but sudden;y stopped.

The red hunter had a small child in his arms, but that wasn't why the rookie stopped, The hunter was limping and was coverd in scraps and small gashes from the debris. Zero's eyes were coverd in shadow

"Zero!" Aullter rushed up to Zero. "Senpi...are you alright?" asked Aullet. Zero froze when he heard his old title, but smiled

"Aullet...take the kid for me pleace.." groaned Zero handing the small girl to Aullet, who noded and carried the girl back over to the other children. Zero sighed, took a half step then collapsed on the ground.

"Zero! shouted X and several of the other hunters as they rushed to the hunters aid.

X even with his borken leg reached the wounded hunter first.

"Zero are you ok?" asked X turning the hunter over. Zero chuckled several times.

"Hehehehehe..."

"WHAT! you lauphing!?" creid X dropping Zero on the ground and crossing his hands across his chest. "what the hell are you lauphing at?!"

"Hehehe...nothing...." panted Zero smileing.

"You son of a bitch!" shouted X nearly slapping Zero. " How dare you disobey me?!"

"God...who's on a power trip?" mutterd Zero sitting up and whipeing away some blood.

"What did you say to me!? " shouted X. Zero groaned and rubbed his temple

" I said...SHUT UP!!!" screamed Zero turning to X and clenthing a fist. " Shut up! and get you'r head outta your ass!" said Zero standing up and walking away from the reploid. X stod up and threw a rock at Zero hitting the hunter in the back of the head.

"Who do you think you are?! "shouted X pointing to Zero. " Do you even know who I am?!"

Zero stoped, sighed and tunred around.

" You? you are a B-class hunter with an attitude problem!" said Zero with a low growel. " So get your damn, B ranked ass off my back before I have to beat you to a pulp!" shouted Zero.

"Bastard..." growled X clenthing his fist and gritting his teeth. " Who the hell do you think you are!? last time I checked I didn't have to take orders from the like of YOU!"

Zero blinked and growled his blood beging to boil

" **I** am a Specail A-class hunter! and last time _**I**_ checked A-class beats B-class! So get over your'self you ideiot!" X growled loudly and swung his hand impasintly.

" Shut up! you say you'r my freind! All YOU know is my rank! you don't know who I am at all!"

Zero clenthed his fist again, then let out a growling breath.

"You'r right." said Zero turning around and walking away. " I don't know who you are anymore...the X I knew was a thousand times more obedeant then you are." Zero stoped and turned back to X. " The hounshu I helped raise as a million times more compassoint then you are."

X blinked and stared into Zero's saddend blue eyes.

'Senpi? this guy was my _senpi_!?'

"No!" shouted X takeing off after Zero. The red hunter was cuaght off guard by this. "you were not my senpi!" screamed X pulling out his Z-saber and slashing at Zero.

The red hunter closed his eyes and dodged the blue reploid. Then Zero pulled out his own saber.

But he did nothing. X slashed at him repeatedly but each time Zero would dodge, until finaly the red hunter grabed X;s arm twisted it backwards and threw the hunter above his head and elbowed him into the ground. X gasped loudly and layed still on the ground alightly paralized from the force of the blow. Zero stod and looked at X through the corner of his eye

" The X I knew was stronger then you." said Zero walking away from the blue hunter.

X sat up and clutched his stomach as he watched Zero walk away.

'How? no one can beat me! how did we beat me?' thought X slowly standing up.

"Fine! run away you coward!" shouted X frustrated as he turned around and limped back to his unit.

Zero stopped and shutterd from the words but didn't turn around.

" So..." mutterd Zero looking at the ground, "Hey X!" called Zero still not turning around.

X froze and slightly turned back to Zero.

" I'm not beging a coward...I'm just not in the mood to waste my energy on something so useless!" said Zero. "Becuase that's what you've become!....fare well....my freind."

With that Zero turned a corner and walk down an ally way.

X blinked and walked away.

Aullet who had been wtaching the arguement blinked.

"Zero! wait!" shouted Aullet takeing off after Zero.

"Fallow him and I'm placeing you under arrest!" said X darkly. Aullet skidded to a stop, then turned to the captain.

"Fuck you!" yelled Aullet dashing off after Zero. "Zero! hey! wait up!" called Aullet rushing around the corner and running down the allyway his senpi had dissapeard down.

X blinked several times at what Aullet said. It was a shock to him. Aullet had always been obedant...always fallowed orders.

"Damn!" cursed X limping over to a transporter truck that was waiting for the wounded.

XxXxXxX

Aullet ran through the long ally chaseing after Zero's dark form. Although the red hunter was walking he had traveld a fair distance since his argument with X.

"S-Senpi! please wait!" shouted Aullet heaveing. This time Zero stopped and waited for Aullet.

The rookie ran up to Zero and placed a hand on his masters shoulder.

" Thank you...how do you walk so fast?" panted Aullet shacking his head. Zero didn't say anything but just started walking again.

"Hey." Aullet stopped panting and walked up beside Zero. Don't let X get to you...he's been acteing like that for a while."

" Acteing like what?" asked Zero darkly. " Oh you mean like a shellfish little bastard that dosn't reoect higher officers? Oh I'm not going to let _that _bother me." said Zero as he turned out of the ally and walked into the crowd that was gatherd in the food court for dinner. Aullet stared at the ground for a minute.

"Hey Aullet, shouldn't you be with you'r unit?" asked Zero blinking several times.

"Yea but...I can't stand X's attitude anymore...he won't listen to anyone, not even Signas...sometimes, He thinks he's the commander or something. He treated to arrest me if I fallowed you."

" And you still fallowed me?" asked Zero slightly turing his head to the rookie

"Well yea...i'm mean. Gerimah may be my unit captian but...you'r my senpi...and my true Captain. Zero I choose to fallow you over anyone in the base." said Aullet smileing.

"You idieot." hissed Zero shacking head.

"eh? what?"

" You had a good carrer back there...you shouldn't have throwen it away for me." said Zero sitting down at a bench. " I know I've lost my job there...and now you have."

" I don't care...Zero _you'r_ my senpi, not _them_...I don't need _**them**_." hissed Aullet darkly

Zero chuckled at that.

"Well...alright fine...the company would be nice, and who knows. I bet this coove, that I'll be stuck saveing X's ass sooner or later." said Zero tighting his pony tail.

"hey Zero...you hungry?" asked Aullet looking over at one of the food joints.

"Yea...havn't eaten in two days." said Zero tapping the table. " Don't got no money though."

" Ha! money, yea right." joked Aullet hopping up and heading over to a strang looking both. Zero fallowed the rookie slightly confused by his remark.

"Why don't we need money?" asked Zero was Aullet ripped off a small metal ring from his armor.

"The economy of this coove is based off trade. you give them something valueble, they'll figure out how many credits it's worth write it down on a peice a paper and i'll show you the rest." said Aullet turning to the man at thte counter.

"Hey ya...umm sir, how many credits would this be worth?" asked Aullet handing the ring to the man.

The man took the ring and got slightly pale.

"Just give me a minute said the man rubbing the ring then looking at it through a small magnifier.

" Medium headted Steel aloy...coated in...genuine gold plated paint...I'd say this here is worth...six hundred silver credits...or do want worth in gold credits?" asked the man looking at Aullet.

"Six hundred silver is good."said Aullet. The man nodded and began to type the numbers in a small computer. afew minutes passed. Then the old man turned to Aullet and handed him a blue card.

"here you are sir. have a nice day." said the man nodding as he placed the ring in one of six boxes behind the counter.

"Thank you sir." said Aullet nodding then he tuirned and showed the card to Zero.

"See..." Zero blinked

" Thats weird...thats just wierd."

" Who cares, we got Sixty dollars worth of credits here, so where ya want to eat?"

" The depends on the average cost of food." said Zero rasing an eyebrow.

" the maximum price for any resturant, even the best of the best is thirty-five credits a meal. The minium is ten credits. This food court is mostly in the ten to twenty range." said Aullet pointing to the food places.

"Alright...I'm in the mood for some Lo-mein and a sake." said Zero smileing.

"Sorry Zero, they don't sell sake here."

" What do you mean?"

" In this coove...alcoholic drinks are forbiden. We could be a monorail back to coove ten but...that would cost us forty credits and everything is more expinsive there."

" Hell...lets eat here." said Zeri smileing as he placed a hand on Aullets shoulder as the rookie lead him to a lo-mein shop.


End file.
